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In an overhaul of the White House National Security Council (NSC), dozens of staff members were dismissed on Friday as part of US President Donald Trump’s initiative to scale back the agency’s size and influence. The move, described as a sweeping layoff, signals a significant shift in how the administration intends to manage national security policy.

According to a Reuters report citing multiple sources familiar with the decision, staffers working on key global issues, including Ukraine and Kashmir, were among those let go in the afternoon round of terminations. The restructuring reflects Trump's broader strategy to transform the NSC from a prominent policymaking body into a smaller, more execution-focused office aligned with the president’s agenda.

The NSC, traditionally tasked with advising the president and coordinating foreign policy across departments, has seen its staff drastically reduced under the Trump administration. While the council employed over 300 people during President Joe Biden’s term, Trump had already halved its size before the latest cuts. Now, according to four sources cited by Reuters, the administration aims to shrink the NSC to around 50 staffers.

This downsizing is expected to shift more responsibility to agencies like the State Department, the Pentagon, and intelligence services, effectively decentralising policy influence once concentrated within the NSC. Critics argue this could undermine the strategic coherence of US foreign policy, particularly without expert input on complex global issues.

Dismissal Of Several Senior NSC Officials Earlier

The timing of the layoffs comes just weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio assumed the role of national security adviser, succeeding Mike Waltz. The internal changes also follow the dismissal of several senior NSC officials earlier this year, reportedly prompted by a controversial list of alleged "disloyal" staff provided to Trump by right-wing activist Laura Loomer.

Sources told Reuters that the NSC’s internal structure is also being overhauled, with several directorates expected to be merged or eliminated altogether. In many cases, only a handful of personnel remain within existing divisions.

Morale within the agency has reportedly declined following recent controversies, including an incident where former national security adviser Mike Waltz unintentionally revealed sensitive details about a planned bombing campaign in Yemen to a journalist from The Atlantic.